Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), J.S. Okutepa, has strongly criticized the treatment of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, who appeared in court handcuffed for alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation charges.
Okutepa described the act as a “shameful disgrace” to the nobility of the legal profession and a severe abuse of the criminal process.
In a statement, Okutepa expressed dismay over the celebration of Farotimi’s handcuffing as a supposed triumph of justice. He argued that such actions only highlight the degeneration and lack of integrity within Nigeria’s legal profession.
“No matter how uncivilized or unethical Dele Farotimi’s expressions may have been, the treatment being meted out to him as a still-practicing lawyer is as grave as the allegations against him,” Okutepa said.
The Senior Advocate pointed out that Farotimi remains a legal practitioner in good standing, with his name still on the roll of lawyers in Nigeria, and there is no evidence of violent behavior that could justify the use of handcuffs. “Handcuffing him is not only an abuse of the criminal process but also an intolerable disgrace,” he stated.
Okutepa lamented that this episode is indicative of a broader failure within the legal profession, arguing that actions like these undermine the profession’s integrity and reputation far more than the alleged defamation Farotimi is accused of.
“The legal profession in Nigeria has destroyed itself,” he continued. “Primitive vengeance undertaken by police institutions in this manner does not harm Dele Farotimi; it destroys the legal profession. This show of shame has irreparably lowered the integrity and reputation of the legal profession.”
Farotimi’s handcuffing has sparked widespread condemnation from lawyers and activists across Nigeria, with many calling for an urgent review of the treatment of legal practitioners facing criminal charges.
